Orlando Magic Inducts UCF Alum Into Hall of Fame

One of Orlando's most influential figures and prominent UCF graduates, Alex Martins '01MBA, now has another superlative to add to his name: hall of famer.

A well-regarded civic leader who has helped propel Orlando's trajectory as the fastest major metro area in the United States, Martins has spent 30 of his nearly 40 years in professional sports management as part of the Orlando Magic organization. For his many years of dedicated service and leadership, Martins became the 14th person inducted to the NBA franchise's Hall of Fame.

The UCF grad, who earned his master's in business administration in 2001, joins the likes of fellow Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neil, Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway and Dwight Howard.

"His decades of work with the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university reflect the character and commitment that define UCF." - UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright

"Chair Martins leads with humility, generosity and a deep sense of responsibility to this community," says UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright. "His decades of work with the Orlando Magic and his continued investment in our university reflect the character and commitment that define UCF. As chair of our Board of Trustees, I see every day how deeply he believes in this institution and the opportunities we create for Central Florida. His induction into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame is a well-deserved recognition of a remarkable career and all of us at UCF are proud to celebrate this moment with him."

Man of the Hour

Martins was inducted on Monday, March 23, at Kia Center, near the Orlando Magic Fan Experience.

"We are excited to welcome Alex Martins into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame," says Orlando Magic chairman Dan DeVos. "His innovative business acumen has transformed our organization, while working tirelessly to make the Magic an invested community partner. For his efforts that spanned three decades, this is truly a worthy recognition for Alex and his family, and we look forward to continuing to work with him in his role as vice chair."

Ties that Bind

Martins was named chair of the UCF Board of Trustees in 2021 and also serves on the dean's executive council for the UCF College of Business. Martins served on the developmental board of the globally acclaimed DeVos sport business management program at UCF, which is funded through a $9 million endowment by Rich and Helen DeVos and awards dual master's degrees in sport management and business administration. Under Martins' leadership, the Magic contributed $1.5 million to the construction of UCF Downtown in 2015, the first major private donation for the campus.

He is a member of the College of Business' Hall of Fame and recipient of the university's Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Magic Career

Martins serves as vice chair of the Orlando Magic. In this position, he acts as a senior advisor to the Magic Board of Directors to advance long-term strategic initiatives and serve as a resource to Magic executives.

Martins also represents the Magic as the team's alternate governor to the NBA Board of Governors, and oversees all operations of the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL and the Osceola Magic of the NBA G League.

Martins served as the Orlando Magic's CEO for 14 seasons (2011-25). He has held various senior-level management capacities with the Magic between 1989-98 and upon his return to the organization in 2005, including director of media relations, executive vice president of marketing and franchise relations, president and chief operating officer.

During his tenure as CEO, the Sports Business Journal named the Magic as one of the "Best Places to Work in Sports," the only franchise in the four major professional sports leagues to receive the recognition in 2024.

His effort and collaboration with local business and political leaders helped to secure the Kia Center as a sports and entertainment home, which opened in October 2010. The Kia Center was named the Sports Business Journal's Sports Facility of the Year in 2012.

Martins has also held senior executive positions with the New Orleans Hornets, the NFL's Cleveland Browns and Tavistock Group. He started his career as a student assistant in the Villanova sports information department, assisted in the Philadelphia 76ers public relations department and was also the assistant sports information director at Georgetown University.

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